James eerrier



J. FERRIER COTTON PIGKER May 28, 1929.

Filed June 50, 1926 Tamas FQTYI 1 NVENTO UNITED STATES JAMES FERRIER, OF VVOXVAN, AUSTRALIA.

COTTON PICKEB.

Application filed June 3'0 1926,

My improved rotor or rotors for a handpiece of a cotton picking apparatus eni- Serial No. 119.647, and in Australia July 16, 1825.

vary in form in practice, and will have one, two or more rotors. The mouth of the head bodies rock this which carry pickers, the indicat d at M. Shaft 1 carries means idpiece having a mouth which can he .1 ti cs2which support the rotor casbrought adjacent to cotton bolls in the iicld, mono cylindrical in Figures 1 to 8, the bolt being drawn by inwardly moving i ridg -ze section in Figures 8 to 10 there air towards the mouth, and the cotton being lon itiulinal depressions or corrugapluched from the boll by the pickers and i i. between ridges having curved surthen drawn into the handpiecc and in due Tiaccs {5 which ass "t to repel boll llLISlTS. course released tor conveyance where desired. Longitudinal partitions 7, which are spaced One object of this invention is to provide :2 within the rotor casing 3 and which roclr bars within a casing which has openings 2" employed to support the same, are through which the picker points may project I reduce air movement within the variably so as to enectively d ctach. then coni tend from end to end of the casand thereatter release the cotton. 1 2 they radiate from a central the drawings herewith, which are in each enters an anchoring groove some cases diagramnniie, I illust'. 1 according to this invention, and show se i the partitions are integral with terms orthe casings and other elem-e s peripheries of discs 2 either the rotors, but other modifications are obviii in Figures '1', 9 and 10,01 as in ously usable, and the designs and numbers of the parts used may be varied while retaining matter hereinafter claimed. 'o co as by being located within a guard Figure it is a side elevation ot a rotor rim it on the handpiece head this construc- 5O 2 viewed in the direction of the arrow in Fig tion preventing cotton fouling shaft 1 or its .r 2, partly in section on line F of Figure 2, bearings. the rotor having rows of slots, slots of suc- The rock bars 10 are spaced around shaft 1, cessive rows being in alignment circumtereach carrying an desired number of pickers entially, one slot being provided for each 11 ct suitable type, rock barsbeing shown picker. There is also illustrated at one end in Figures 2 and 3, although in practice as the rotor a nonrotating casing and other any other appropriate number is usable, each of the handpiece head. being restrained. from displacement longi- F 1 figure 2 is mainly a transverse sectional tudinally by any suitable means as washers view of the rotor of Figure 1 but shows 3" for example. also part of an end disc. The picker openings in the rotor casing Figui 3 is an end Sectional View 011 line are in the form of longitudinal sets or rows 1? 3 of Figure 1, omitting head parts outof slots 12 through which the tips of the wardly 01. the cam cover. ckers will project more or less at intervals Figure t is a perspective Vi w of a pic (e (1 ring cotton picking, the rock bars oscil- Figures 5 t0 9 illustrate modifications. lat ng to cause the pickers to rise or reat Figure 5 is a side sectional view of part themselves into position to project outwardly of a sheet metal rotor casing and a reel; bar. to n; cotton and to become, during the rotali 6 i5 Sectional P P CtiV w f lion ot the casing, lowered, reclined, or reparts in Figure tracted, so as to leave the cotton free at a igure 7 represents part of a rotor casing suitable location. having rows of slots which are relatively The picker motions occur in suitable cirstaggered Circw'nferentiallycuinferential positions of the pickers, which Figure 8 is a perspective view of part a are not necessarily retracted right into the r rotor ha ving a ridged casing.

lT'gures Sand 10 are end sectional views of reel: bar oscillation causes the pickers to ct rota having modified ridged Paving; at the same time the rotor revolves. casings, the ridging being variable to suit 1 illustrate in Figure 4t one term of picker the number of the rock bars. termed of a single spring wire or bristle no having a tip 11 which is somewhat bent, that to sav is hook like but the t1 15 also effecit straight.

l is a rotor shaft supported in hearings in the handpiece head H part of which 18 indicated by way of example. The head will These pickers also have means to loosely embrace their support shown as rock bar 10, and to increase the resilience of the. picker. Thus 11 is a coil. Each picker has a stub or shank 11 of suitable form for anchorage of the picker in a rock bar hole or recess-- see Figures 4. and 5. The variations in the forms of pickers which are usable are con siderable.

To rock each bar 110 any suitable mechanism is used, and I show at one end of each rock bar a crank 15, see Figures 1 and 3, although mechanical equivalents of cranks, such as eccentrics, are usable, Fiach crank engages a cam track 16 in a stationary member shown as a cover 1''? attached to the handpiece head H. The cranks are urged by springs 18 against the cam surface so that each rock bar is thus set in its proper position, and the pickers carried thereby are properly positioned relatively to the rotor face. As shown in Figure 3 there are means to prevent free movement ot the cranked ends after they are withdrawn from the cam; these means are shown as stops it). As shown in F igure 3 a leading-in cam ramp 20 enables cranks 15 to be set into working 'iosition, the rotor or casing being turned during assembly, causing the successive cranks to mount the cam track 16 and become located as illustrated. A cam of ridge or groove natm'e is suitable; if a groove is used the springs 18 are unnecessary.

The previouslyarientioned slots 12 of successive rows are abreast in Figure 1, that being preferable when a rotor carries numerous pickers. The slots in Figure 7 are staggered circumlierentially, but with such slots either set abreast or staggered the rotor outer surtace is longitudinally or circumferentially ridged or domed at will.

A. slot can be so elongated as to accommodate pickers of more than one row.

It is also obvious that when the picker tips project, they will engage the cotton of any adjacent bell, and detach it from its husk, and that when they .recedc they will lil'CG the cotton, To assist the pi ker action when freeing cotton, the slots have suitable rampliliie edges or lips which are indicated at 13, il ip ure (S. The slot walls diverge inwardly at 1.4, Figure 8, but as an equivalent the lips could project inside the casing. The outer lips 13 also keep out the husks, and the ere tra clearance space provided by the diverg in o; tacos of walls 14L promotes picker action free from undue friction on the slot faces, allowing the pickers to swing correctly even it displaced somewhat from normal positions.

By having slot lips which are ramp-like, an undulating surface is provided circumt'crentially of the rotor, and this is useful during its revolution. But a similar undu lation is obtained by fluting or corrugating the rotor surface, an. example being shown at 13, Figure 8.

I claim 1. In. a cotton picker, a head; a rotor mounted therein and embodying a casing provided with a plurality of sets of slots; driving means tor the rotor; a plurality of rock bars, one for each set of slots, mounted within, the rotor *asing to move Jodily with the same; a set of pickers carried by each bar opposite the respective set of slots, each picker having at one end a tip adapted to move out-ward andinward through the ad jaccnt slot and intermediate its ends a coil which embrzmes the associated bar, the other end. of the picker being anchored to said bar; a stationary cam within the head; and a crank on each bar engaging said cam to impart an intermittent oscillation to the bar during); bodily movement with the rotor but independent of such bodily movement, ther to effect the operation of the pickers.

in a, cotton picker, a head; a rotor mounted therein. and enlbodying a casing provided. with picker openings; driving means for the rotor; a plurality of rock bars n1ounted within the rotor casing to move bodily with the same; a set of pickers carried by each bar opposite the picker openings, each picker having at one end a tip adapted to move outward through the adjacent opening to pick cotton from a boll and then. rearward through said opening to withdraw trom the picked cotton, the other end of the picker being anchored to the associated bar and its intermediate portion being formed as a coil which embraces said bar; a statimmry cam within the head; and a crank on each bar engaging said cam to impart an intermittent oscillation to the bar during its bodily movement with the rotor but independent of such bodily movement, thereby to effect the operation of the pickers.

3. A cotton picker, according to claim 2, in which the rotor comprises a body portion whereon the rotor casing is supported, such body consisting of a central hub and a plurality ol. longitudinal partitions connected thereto, :nljaccnt partitions defining an individual chamber for each rock bar and the pickers carried thereby.

A cotton picker, according: to claim 1, in which the stationary cam consists of a track having an entrance ramp; and in which, each crank has a spring associated with it for pressing it against the cam track, stops being provided for preventing free movement of the cranks on being withdrawn from engagement with said track.

1 In i witness whereof I have hereunto set my flflTlC.

JAMES FERHIEE. 

